Packings for stockings and like articles



Nov. 22, 1966 GIBERSTEIN 3,286,831

PACKINGS FOR STOCKINGS'AND LIKE ARTICLES Filed Dec. 8, 1965 Inn EA/Tofi BERIVHRD G i BERSTEI/v B7 nwushwie HTroR/vEys United States Patent PACKINGS FOR STOCKINGS AND LIKE ARTICLES Bernard Giberstein, Paris, France, assignor to Begy Societe Europeenne de Bas Sans Couture, Autun,

Saone-et-Loire, France, a French body corporate Filed Dec. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 512,467 Claims priority, application France, Dec. 8, 1964, 997,899 1 Claim. (Cl. 206-56) The present invention relates essentially to packings for ladies stockings and like articles.

It is known that as a rule stockings are sold by pairs, each pair being enclosed in a same, separate envelope or pouch. This method is attended by a number of inconveniences due notably to the fact that it makes it impossible to buy a single stocking or an odd number of stockings; on the other hand, since these envelopes or pouches are classed by size, colour, etc. in different compartments, it is a frequent occurrence that as a consequence of repeated handlings these envelopes or pouches are either damaged or mixed up.

In order to avoid these inconveniences and considering the fact that any stocking can be worn indilferently on the left-hand or right-hand leg, it was proposed to wrap each stocking in a separate envelope or pouch and to attach a number of identical envelopes or pouches to constitute a continuous strip adapted to be cut between two adjacent envelopes. It will be readily apparent that according to this packing method stockings can be sold one by one, and that since each strip comprises only stockings of the same size and colour or shade, any undesired mixing of stockings having different sizes or colours is definitely avoided.

It is the essential object of the present invention to improve the packing of stockings or similar articles, of the type set forth hereinabove, with a view to facilitate its manufacture and enhance the appearance and protection of the articles therein.

The packing according to this invention, which belongs to the type comprising a continuous strip of detachable pouches each containing a rolled or folded article, is remarkable notably in that said pouches consist of the compartments of a collective packing made from flexible transparent material and that each aforesaid article is wrapped in a separate case comprising an opaque portion carrying the trademark and/ or designs, and at least one transparent window through which the article can be seen.

The essential advantages resulting from the packing according to this invention lie not only in the fact that the articles are properly protected and displayed in a pleasant and convenient manner, but also and more particularly in that this packing lends itself particularly well to modern automatic mass-production processes affording a very low cost per unit. Indeed, the preliminary packing of the articles in separate cases facilitates their subsequent handling to a substantial extent, since the risks of unrolling or unfolding, and more particularly of damaging the articles, are completely eliminated; moreover, the thus wrapped articles have a sufiicient rigidity and sufficiently regular dimensions to permit their handling by automatic process means.

On the other hand, as the inscriptions and ornamental designs necessary for identifying and displaying the article are carried by its separate case, the collective packing may be made in a particularly economical and simple manner from films of flexible transparent material devoid of any print, this packing may thus easily be manufactured by using purely automatic means, notably according to a continuous process.

Other features and advantages of this invention will 3,286,831 Patented Nov. 22, 1966 appear more clearly as the following description proceeds with reference to the single figure of the attached drawing illustrating diagrammatically by way of example a typical fonn of embodiment of the invention.

In this figure, there is shown diagrammatically one portion or section 10 of a continuous strip 12 of detachable pouches 14 each containing a stocking or similar article 16; the strip portion illustrated comprises five pouches of which the last one 14 is shown in its open and partially torn-off condition.

According to one of the essential features characterizing this invention the continuous strip 12 of pouches 14, termed hereinafter collective packing, consists of a pair of superposed films of flexible transparent sheet material, for example made from cellulose, polyethylene, polyvinyl-chloride, etc. these two films being fastened to each other along their longitudinal corresponding edges and also along spaced transverse lines, for example by means of weld lines 20, 22 respectively, to constitute separate closed compartments constituting the aforesaid pouches 14. In order to facilitate the separation of each pouch 14 whilst avoiding the risk of inopportune opening thereof, the weld lines 22 are preferably relatively wide and perforated along their longitudinal center line.

Enclosed in each pouch 14, that is, in each compartment of the collective packing 12, is a stocking or like article 16 rolled or folded to match the size of the pouch and which, according to another feature of this invention, is Wrapped in a separate case 24 comprising an opaque portion 26 and at least one transparent window 28; in the exemplary form of embodiment shown and described herein each case 24 has the shape of a flattened sleeve consisting of the assembly of a rectangular sheet of paper 26 having its longitudinal edges folded and glued along the edges of a cellulose or like sheet 28; the paper sheet 26 carries the inscriptions permitting of identifying the article, such as the trade name of the article, the size and price of the article, designs and marks revealing its origin, etc., and, possibly, colour or like diagrams intended to improve the appearance, as conventional in the packing of articles for sale. The portion of the transparent sheet'28 which is not covered by the paper sheet 26 constitutes an elongated wind-ow extending throughout the length of the aforesaid case 24, through which the texture and shade of the article 16 are clearly visible, since the collective packing 12 proper is also perfectly transparent.

The packing thus constituted not only ensures a very reliable protection and a pleasant presentation of the articles contained therein, but is also advantageous in that its cost is extremely low because it consists of simple, cheap elements of which the manufacture and actual use for wrapping the articles can be rendered automatic to a considerable extent.

Firstly, it will be noted that the manufacture of the separate cases 24 on the one hand pertains to the conventional paper cutting, printing and folding techniques, and on the other hand requires only a simple gluing operation which may be easily combined with the operation consisting in rolling or folding the article 16. The articles contained in' their separate protection cases 24 may be stocked in bulk without any inconvenience and furthermore the articles thus enclosed in their cases have a suflicient rigidity and a sufficiently regular size to permit their handling by automatic means, notably for positioning them into the collective packing 12.

Secondly, it will be noted that the manufacture of the collective packing 12, whether it is carried out before or in conjunction With the positioning of the articles 16, consists simply in cutting, welding and possibly perforating a film of flexible transparent material free of any print; thus, the manufacture of the collective packing 12 takes place from a raw material as obtained from the mill and is thus free of any servitude as would imply either the printing of this material during the packing-forming process or the proper relative positioning of the welding, perforations, etc., to be madein a previously printed material.

As already set forth hereinabove, the collective packing '12 may be manufactured either before or in con junction with the positioning of the articles therein.

In the first case, a possible manufacturing method would consist in making separately the packing 12 in its final condition, with exception that the completion of one, weld line 20 would be deferred until an article 16 with its separate protection case 24 has been introduced same strip of this transparent material, whereafter these strips or folds are welded around each article. Of

course, this method is particularly convenient for a continuous manufacturing process, and in this alternative the articles 16 packed in their cases 24 are fed one by one by an automatic distributor inbetween two strips of flexible transparent material which are subsequently welded to each other on either side of each article and along their corresponding edges by means of adequate welding jaws and or rollers.

Of course, this invention should not be construed as being limited by the specific forms of embodiment described, suggested and illustrated herein, which are given by way of example only, since many modifications and variations may be brought thereto without departing from 4 V the scope of the invention as set, forth in the appended claim.

What I claim is:

A packaging for stockings consisting of a continuous strip of detachable individual pouches, each of which contains but a single stocking, comprising a first envelope consisting of a tubularelement open at its two ends and having a longitudinal portion made of a transparent material to make the ,color of the stocking apparent and another portion of an, opaque material carrying different marks indicating the size, the brand and the price of the stocking, said envelope containing a single stocking in a rolled and flattened condition, and two superposed rectangular sheets of transparent synthetic material free of any marks secured together by Weldingor gluing along their longitudinal edges and also transversely, to form individual rectangular pouches each of which contain's'a stocking in its aforementioned envelope, and perforations along the said transverse connections to permit the said pouches to be easily separated.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,357,128 10/1920 Travis 20656 X 1,576,576 3/1926 Connolly 20646 1,705,289 3/ 1929, Gregg. 2,260,064 10/1941' Stokes. 2,561,112 7/1951 Hahn 20646 X 2,815,896 12/1957 Shapero 206-46 3,045,891 7/1962 Alvarez 229-69 3,144,933 8/1964 Abrarnson 206-449 FOREIGN PATENTS 552,250 3/ 1943 Great Britain.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner. 

